pound;500,000 legal aid for curry battle

A claimant at the centre of a High Court battle over the Patak spice empire has won up to £500,000 in legal aid.

Chitralekha Mehta, 56, daughter of the founder of Patak's, has been receiving taxpayers' money to fight for a share in the £50million-a-year business. She and sister Anila Shastri, 52 - who is also expected to claim legal aid - say brother Kirit Pathak, 51, unfairly denied them their share in the family firm.

Mrs Mehta allegedly has valuable assets in India and has admitted making £120,000 from the sale of two houses in Bolton.

The court has heard she has started claiming jobseeker's allowance, which entitles her to legal aid.

The case has lasted 17 days and is expected to last about 15 more.

Barristers routinely charge up to £2,000 a day for such a case, with up to £ 50 , 000 added for "preparatory work". That could leave the legal bill as high as £500,000.

The Legal Services Commission is reviewing Mrs Mehta's legal aid claim, focusing on how she could claim when she was living in India, between 2002 - when the court action began - and 2003. If the commission finds against her, she may be forced to pay back all the money.

Mrs Mehta and Mrs Shastri say they are being denied shares in the firm that were originally given to them by their father Laxmishankar Pathak. Kirit, 51, claims the sisters want to cash in on the success of the company.